Today is Armistice Day/Veterans Day

At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice started.  This armistice ended what was (until that time), the deadliest war known to man.  It was also called "the war to end all wars".  In it's aftermath, a group called the "League of Nations" was formed in order to facilitate negotiation between nations in order to avoid conflicts like that in the future.
Many people consider World War I to be the first industrial war but there are some historians that give the US Civil War that distinction.  However, World War I introduced some other horrors that were previously unknown.  It was the first war where poison gas was used against troops.  It also saw the first use of the tank and airplane.  It was also the first war where the submarine was used in an unrestricted fashion against civilian merchant ships.
By the time the war has finished, it is estimated that 10 million military members died from various war related causes.  It is also estimated that another 20 million civilians died from various war related causes (including the influenza outbreak).  It was also the first war to see the aerial attack of civilian populations.

This is a picture I took at the Marine Museum years ago.  I really liked the effect.
The first Armistice Day was celebrated on November 11, 1919 to commemorate the one year anniversary of the end of World War I.  In the United States, this has become Veterans Day.
It would be nice if some people would use this day to take pause and look at the devastation wrought by World War I.  Especially when you consider that some view World War II as continuation of it.

Air Force Museum World War I Dawn Patrol - Part IV

The weather was starting to look like it would get rough so the planes had to come down.  So it was time to leave.

 The Nieuport 23 on the ground.

 Most of the planes that were there were 7/8 scale planes.  This is a 1 to 1 replica of a SPAD VII.  It is being built by a group in Colorado.

 I don't think it is quite ready to fly yet because it has to go through more of the certification process.

 the controls were pretty simple back then.

 Probably one of the more famous planes of the war, the Fokker Triplane.

 Another angle of the plane.

 Another angle of the SPAD.

I really like to see this plane.  I hope it is flying by the time the next one comes around.

Air Force Museum World War I Dawn Patrol Part III

And the Dawn Patrol continues.

 Another Eurocopter from the Miami Valley Hospital.

 I think this is the Nieuport 23 coming in.

 And it passes again.

 This is a Nieuport 12.  It was one of the earlier planes in the war.  Introduced in 1915 and produced until 1918.  It was used by the French, Russians and United Kingdom.  It was also one of the first fighters used by the United States.

 Some more of the re-enactors.

 The Sopwith Schnieder again.  This was also used by the Americans.

 Another view of that plane.

 The Nieuport 12 again.

 The Schneider.

 This is another SE5 produced by the Royal Aircraft Factory.

 Another shot of that.

 The Nieuport 23.

 The Schneider.

 The SE5 again.

 I think this was an early Fokker design.  The real one would have been powered by a Mercedes engine and it was the most advanced fighter by the time it entered the war.  It was also pretty close to the end of the war.

 The Junkers again.

 The Fokker.

 The Nieuport 12 after landing.

And another plane.

Air Force Museum World War I Dawn Patrol - Part II

The static displays were nice but I really went down to Dayton to see the flying displays.  Just so I don't have too many pictures in one post, I decided to split this up a bit. 

 As we got there, they were doing a demonstration of remote control airplanes.  It was pretty neat because they looked almost real.

 Last time I saw this, I was in a cornfield in Indiana.

 I think this one is supposed to be a Sopwith Schneider.  Originally designed to be a sports plane, the war interceded and they were pressed into service as fighters.  It first flew in 1913 and was introduced in 1914.  They were retired in 1915 as they were outmatched by that time.

 The Nieuport 23.

Another picture of the Sopwith Schneider.

 The pilot.

 A Nieuport 17.  This was an earlier version of the 23 above.  It was introduced in March 1916.

 The Nieuport 23 taking off.

 I think this is supposed to be Junkers monoplane.  It was designed as a ground attack plane and first flew in 1917. 

 The Nieuport 17 taking off.

 A mock dogfight.

 The Nieuport again.

 This is a Eurocopter owned by the Miami Valley Hospital.  I couldn't pass up a picture.

 Another shot of the Junkers.

 They had a few ground guys.  I think this guy is supposed to be a British soldier.

 Another dogfight.

 The Nieuport 17 going down.

 The pilot getting helped by US ground forces.

 The Junkers again.

The pilot being put into the ambulance.